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Date
State
South Dakota
Category
Joint
Type Draft
New Resolution
State Association First Name
Shane
State Association Last Name
Skinner
Resolution No.
19
Item No
A
Fiscal Year
2028
State Association Email
State Association Phone Number
605-351-9311
Relating To
Enhancing the Army and Air National Guard by Providing Support for all Personnel Missions - Personnel Pay and Member Benefits
SME Email
SME Phone
605-351-9311
Task Force
Personnel-Medical
State Association Title
Executive Director
Proposal Statement
To petition Congress to appropriate dedicated funding to the National Guard Bureau to fully execute Inactive Duty Training (IDT) travel and per-diem entitlements authorized under 37 U.S.C. § 452(b)(9), 37 U.S.C. § 452(j), and the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) Paragraph 032304 for traditional Guardsmen at or below the ranks of E-7, CW2, and O-3.
Recommendation Information
37 U.S.C. § 452(b)(9) and 37 U.S.C. § 452(j) establish the statutory authority for the Secretary of Defense to reimburse Selected Reserve members who travel outside the normal commuting distance (defined by the JTR as 150 miles or more one-way) to attend inactive-duty training
. Furthermore, effective December 27, 2024, the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) Paragraph 032304 increased the maximum travel reimbursement limit from $500 to $750 per round trip to alleviate the severe financial strain on traveling service members
. While the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) reinforces the intent to reimburse reserve component members for actual and necessary travel expenses when commuting more than 50 miles for drill, the National Guard Bureau (NGB) lacks the dedicated, appropriated federal funding line to push these critical resources to the states
. As a result, South Dakota National Guard Soldiers and Airmen regularly commute 150 to 320 miles out-of-pocket for monthly training. This creates a severe financial penalty for junior enlisted, warrant officers, and company-grade officers (E-7, CW2, and O-3 and below), directly degrading force readiness and retention. Congress must appropriate dedicated funding to bridge this gap and fully execute these legally authorized travel programs
. Furthermore, effective December 27, 2024, the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) Paragraph 032304 increased the maximum travel reimbursement limit from $500 to $750 per round trip to alleviate the severe financial strain on traveling service members
. While the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) reinforces the intent to reimburse reserve component members for actual and necessary travel expenses when commuting more than 50 miles for drill, the National Guard Bureau (NGB) lacks the dedicated, appropriated federal funding line to push these critical resources to the states
. As a result, South Dakota National Guard Soldiers and Airmen regularly commute 150 to 320 miles out-of-pocket for monthly training. This creates a severe financial penalty for junior enlisted, warrant officers, and company-grade officers (E-7, CW2, and O-3 and below), directly degrading force readiness and retention. Congress must appropriate dedicated funding to bridge this gap and fully execute these legally authorized travel programs
